A Man Dying Poem by M.J. Lemon
A Man Dying
Be not proud.
In a downtown alley way
he stands but just barely and to see his
pale gaunt ashen frame is to ask-
will he disappear into the cement sidewalk crack?
Can he will he ever make it back?
Is he a relation? Be not proud
since father brother cousin son
may be but still unwanted ill-treated unshaven
left choking all his wealth in tired hand
flailing
Falling stumbling balancing
before the fall to net of needles and asphalt
The fault after the fall
Be not proud.
......................BUT you do not use 'death be not proud', only 'be not proud'. So, in your poem, what is the purpose of using 'be not proud'. Are you alluding to the falling person or to anyone viewing the scene of falling? ? ? bri : )
Hi Bri, It can be taken in at least 2 ways. It depends. Do you see the first few lines as second or third person rendered? ? Thanks for this second reading.
Having once again read the poem and some of the comments, including mine, from past years, I feel I should again mention your use of 'be not proud' and your acknowledgement that it is in reference to Donne's poem Death Be Not Proud.
Brilliant testment of the current doing of the governments Bravo MJ
he stands but just barely and to see his pale gaunt ashen frame is to ask- will he disappear into the cement sidewalk crack? Can he will he ever make it back? - -A very touching write !
P.S. since submitting part one of my comments below, i checked a large paper dictionary and it does seem to allow, marginally i think, the use of " cement" for a hardened substance, I think making it ok to use in place of MY preferred " concrete" . I just Googled " concrete vs. cement" : " Although the terms cement and concrete often are used interchangeably, cement is actually an ingredient of concrete"
Similar enough, Bri...There is also the metaphorical aspect to being consumed by the concrete, the cement...What swallows us does not have to be a literal. Again, Thanks, Bri.
This poem has not been translated into any other language yet.
I would like to translate this poem
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4/25/2024 6:24:05 AM # 1.0.0.1119
By The Grace of God. Thank you for acknowledging this human being. On some level, he has heard your message and is stronger because of it.